Okay, time for something fun.
I love reading fantasy and science-fiction; always have. (In fact, one day I'll finish my novel -- you know, in my spare time between midnight and 6am. I have a bunch of evil taskmasters writer friends who will elbow me to death mock me horribly if I don't, so there's no need to join in.)
Like anything else, fantasy can be broken into sub-genres, and steampunk is a particular favorite I like to read. To clarify, it's a time period usually set a la the iron/Victorian age -- think Jules Verne or the movie The Golden Compass and gears and clocks and Zepplins -- where steam power became the more viable source of power over electricity. (Electricity is in the early "fragile glass and ornate coil" system but with ornate detailing.)
A laptop might look like this, for example. Might not have been in a steampunk novel, but it's adapted to what people think laptops/typewriters might have looked like. I have no idea how anyone figured they would power it, but my imagination supplies very static-y 1950s-tv screens. Of course, it's a working laptop that has been redesigned with a steampunk "look":
(photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hidden libraries, like the one in writer Holly Black's home, are in again -- if you can find them.
Simpler times, simpler design. Except all of this is real, and in this, er, reality. (Ahh, you knew where I was going with this, don't you?)
There's realms of blogs dedicated to the clothing, the steam machinery, but what interests me is the interior design aspect and the architecture of this look. I admire the lines and the detailing.
With that in mind, I present to you The Steampunk Home -- your host for all Steampunk decor. As the blog author, Sara, says:
"I believe that Steampunk is more than just brass and watchparts. It's finding a way to combine the past and the future in an aesthetic pleasing yet still punkish way. It's living a life that looks old-fashioned, yet speaks to the future. It's taking the detritus of our modern technological society and remaking it into useful things. Join me as I search for items for my house that combine the scientific romanticism of the Victorians with our real present and imagined future."
Enjoy!
